Deputy Minister Ito's Liberal Branch Donated during an election from a public construction contracting company November 27, 18:11

A branch of the Liberal Democratic Party, represented by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Vice Minister Yoshitaka Ito, received a 2.6 million yen donation from a local construction company that had received an order for public construction during the House of Representatives election. I understood that. The Public Office Election Law prohibits companies that undertake national construction work from making donations in relation to the national elections, and the office of Deputy Minister Ito "considers whether to refund".

According to the report on the balance of political funds, “LDP Hokkaido Seventh Election District Branch”, represented by Vice-Minister Ito, donated 2.6 million yen from the six local construction companies during the House of Representatives election in October. In addition, from the dissolution of the House of Representatives on September 28 to the announcement date, a total of 1.92 million yen was received from nine companies including construction companies.

The Public Office Election Law prohibits companies undertaking public works in the country from donating in relation to the national election, but NHK proceeded with the interviews. I was undertaking public works in the country, such as national road disaster recovery work.

In response to NHK's interview, Vice Minister Ito said, “Every donation is regarded as support for the activities of the political party branch. I don't know at all that the company you pointed out received an order for public construction in the country. "We are considering whether to refund".

Donations during the election period

There have been many cases in which the parliamentarians reimbursed the representative political party branch for receiving donations from companies that have contracted with the country during the election of the House of Representatives.

The Liberal Democratic Party branch, represented by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Takaichi, was reported to have received a donation of 300,000 yen from a company in Nara City that had a deal with the National Police Agency, etc.

At this time, Minister Takaichi said, “At the time of receiving the donation, I did not know that the company had a contract with the country, and when I checked with a lawyer, it was a reply that there was no conflict with the Public Office Election Law.” , “I was reluctant to be questioned as a minister in charge of the election system, etc., so I refunded the full amount due to a moral relationship.”

In addition, both political party branches, which are representatives of the House of Representatives Shigeki Kobayashi and Member of the House of Representatives Shinsuke Okuno, are also reported to have received donations of 1 million yen and 500,000 yen from the same company in Nara City, respectively. Said, “I will return the entire amount from a moral point of view,” with the recognition that it does not conflict with the Public Office Election Law.

In addition to this, the LDP branch, represented by Parliamentary Secretary Masahisa Miyazaki and Deputy Member of the House of Representatives Yukiyuki Kuniba, received donations of 200,000 yen and 300,000 yen, respectively, from a construction company in Naha City that had received an order for the Ministry of Defense. Both of the offices said, “I didn't know that the construction work was ordered from the country until the press came out. The full amount was refunded.”

Expert "Politicians and companies understand the law"

Professor Nobunobu Iwai of Nihon University, who is familiar with the issue of political funding, said, “There are some vague points in the interpretation of what makes“ election-related donations, ”but the political party branch and its representative politicians Yes, there is a suspicion that the company that won the government business during the election period donates to the political party branch, and it should be refunded. There are some cases where homes refund donations, and politicians and donating companies need to understand and respond to the law properly. "